The 56th Maintenance Group provides aircraft maintenance on more than 138 F-16s for the Air Force's only active duty F-16 training wing. The 56th Maintenance Group generates more than 25,000 sorties compiling 32,000 flight hours per year, which plays a pivotal role in conducting the safe and efficient training for more than 350 pilots every year. As the largest maintenance group in the Air Force, the 56th Maintenance Group consists of 2,200 members operating on an annual budget of $161 million to maintain the F-16s and engines-assets, which are valued at more than $5 billion. The 56th Maintenance Group also directly contributes to Luke's second mission: training more than 3,000 maintenance technicians and 1,000 Mission Ready F-16 crew chiefs each year.

The 56th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron provides intermediate and flight line maintenance for 52 Block 20, 25 and 52 F-16 C/D aircraft valued at $1.6 billion. Manned with over 330 active duty, civilians, contractors and 100+RSAF maintainers, the squadron's primary focus is to ensure mission-ready aircraft are maintained to support basic F-16 training for U.S. Air Force active and reserve components, Republic of Singapore Air Force, and Taiwan Air Force pilots. In order to accomplish this task, the squadron is divided into three Aircraft Maintenance Units supporting their associated fighter squadrons. The Aircraft Maintenance Units are the 21st Aircraft Maintenance Unit "Gamblers," the 62nd Aircraft Maintenance Unit "Spikes," and 425th Aircraft Maintenance Unit "Black Widows."

The 56th Component Maintenance Squadron accomplishes specialized maintenance of F-16 components, systems and support equipment. This includes inspection, repair and scheduled maintenance of aircraft propulsion, avionics, pneudraulics, electrical-environmental, egress and fuel systems for the Air Force's largest fighter wing. Additionally, the 56th Component Maintenance Squadron repairs and calibrates test, measurement, and diagnostic equipment used by over 190 organizations on Luke Air Force Base and throughout the Southwestern United States. The squadron also maintains engine trailers and specialized equipment necessary to accomplish its mission. The 56th Component Maintenance Squadron, with a workforce of 250 personnel, is organized into four flights: Propulsion; Accessories; Avionics; and Test, Measurement and Diagnostic Equipment.

The 756th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron "Jaguars" was activated Sept. 7, 2002. The squadron was responsible for maintaining 86 F-16 Block 42 aircraft and resources valued at more than $2.5 billion. The 756th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron provided direct support enabling Luke Air Force Base to meet its mission. Maintenance was accomplished on the F-16 to allow pilots to fly in multiple configurations, day or night. The squadron also provided aircraft for Night Vision Imaging System training and enabled the success of the "only" medium altitude navigation and targeting infrared for night and forward air control-airborne training squadron in the Air Force. The squadron's Aircraft Maintenance Units were the 308th Aircraft Maintenance Unit "Emerald Knights," and the 309th Aircraft Maintenance Unit "Wild Ducks," the 310th Aircraft Maintenance Unit "Top Hats." In June 2014 the squadron's functions became part of the 56th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron.

56TH MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS SQUADRON

The 56th Maintenance Operations Squadron was first activated on 20 May 1943 as the 56th Station Complement Squadron at Atterbury Army Air Field, Indiana. On 10 August 1943, the squadron was reassigned to Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia, where it remained for less than 1 month while awaiting reassignment to the air war in Europe. The squadron joined the Allied war effort in Europe on 15 September 1943 when it arrived at Wattisam, England.

In England the unit was involved in supporting Allied combat operations against an armed opposing enemy force. After the total defeat of the Axis Powers and the end of World War II, the unit was deactivated on 21 November 1945 while assigned at Hitcham, England. The unit was activated again on 1 November 1991 as the 56th Logistics Support Squadron at MacDill AFB, Florida, and assigned to the 56th Logistics Group, all under the command jurisdiction of the 56th Tactical Training Wing. Here the unit was involved in providing support for the combat aircrew training operations of its parent wing.

As part of a move by senior USAF leadership to ensure the most highly decorated units in the service's history remained part of the active fighter force during a time of Department of Defense wide drawdown, the squadron, as well as all 56th Fighter Wing units were reassigned to Luke AFB, Arizona, on 1 April 1994. On 27 September 2002, the squadron was redesignated as the 56th Maintenance Operations Squadron as part of a major Air Force reorganization. Today, the 56th Maintenance Operations Squadron is involved in supporting a mission that has been identified with Luke AFB for more than 53 years: training combat aircrews second to none. The 56th Maintenance Operations Squadron was awarded the 2003 Air Force Maintenance Effectiveness Award.

The 56th Maintenance Operations Squadron inactivated July 1, 2013, and the squadron's functions became part of the MXG staff